Thumbstick user input device and related methods

ABSTRACT

A thumbstick user input device may include a shaft carried by a housing and having an upper end extending outwardly beyond the housing for manipulation by the user&#39;s thumb and a lower end within the housing. Sensors may be carried by the housing to sense shaft movement. A first contact member may be within the housing, and a spring may be between the first contact member and the shaft to urge the first contact member and the shaft apart. A motor may be carried at a bottom of the housing and may have a rotatable output extending upwardly therefrom. A second contact member may be coupled to the rotatable output and in contact with the first contact member to be selectively moveable upward or downward based upon motor rotation to set a spring compression and thereby set a return-to-center bias for the shaft while being manipulated by the user&#39;s thumb.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of electronics, and, moreparticularly, to the field of user input devices.

BACKGROUND

A joystick is a type of user input device, for example, for use with agaming controller. A typical joystick includes a stick or shaft that ismoved by a user relative to a center position to provide input, forexample, 360-degree control in two dimensions. A joystick may beself-centering, for example, and may return to the center position whenuser input is removed.

One type of joystick is a thumbstick. Similarly to a joystick, a stickor shaft is moved by a user relative to a center position to provideinput. However, unlike a joystick, for example, where the user's hand isengaged with the shaft, a thumbstick includes a relatively short shaftthat is operated by the user's thumb. In other words, the shaft is sizedso that the user cannot typically move the shaft by engaging the user'swhole hand.

SUMMARY

A thumbstick user input device may include a housing and a shaft carriedby the housing. The shaft may have an upper end extending outwardlybeyond the housing for manipulation by a user's thumb and a lower endwithin the housing. The thumbstick user input device may also include aplurality of sensors carried by the housing to sense movement of theshaft, and a first contact member within the housing. The thumbstickuser input device may also include a spring coupled between the firstcontact member and the shaft to urge the first contact member and theshaft apart, and a motor carried at a bottom of the housing and having arotatable output extending upwardly therefrom. A second contact membermay be coupled to the rotatable output and in contact with the firstcontact member to be selectively moveable in an upward or downwarddirection based upon motor rotation to set a compression of the springand thereby set a return-to-center bias for the shaft while the upperend of the shaft is being manipulated by the user's thumb.

The spring may include a coil spring, for example. The shaft may have ashaft passageway therethrough, and the first contact member may beslidable within the shaft passageway.

The coil spring may be within the shaft passageway between the firstcontact member and adjacent portions of the shaft. The first contactmember may have a contact member passageway therein, and the coil springmay be within the contact member passageway, for example.

The upper end of the shaft may include a removable thumb contact pad,for example. The thumbstick user input device may also include acontroller coupled to the plurality of sensors and the motor. Thecontroller may be configured to set the rotatable output to move thefirst contact member to a release position for the removable thumbcontact pad, for example. The controller may be configured to operatethe motor to set the return-to-center bias based upon the plurality ofsensors, for example.

A method aspect is directed to a method of making a thumbstick userinput device. The method may include mounting a shaft and associatedsensors within a housing so that an upper end of the shaft extendsoutwardly beyond the housing for manipulation by a user's thumb and alower end of the shaft is within the housing. The method may alsoinclude mounting a return-to-center bias arrangement to the shaft. Thereturn-to-center bias arrangement may include a first contact memberwithin the housing, a spring coupled between the first contact memberand the shaft to urge the first contact member and the shaft apart, anda motor carried at a bottom of the housing and having a rotatable outputextending upwardly therefrom. The return-to-center bias arrangement mayalso include a second contact member coupled to the rotatable output andin contact with the first contact member to be selectively moveable inan upward or downward direction based upon motor rotation to set acompression of the spring and thereby set a return-to-center bias forthe shaft while the upper end of the shaft is being manipulated by theuser's thumb.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a game controller including athumbstick user input device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a thumbstick user input deviceaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a thumbstick user input deviceaccording to another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a thumbstick user input deviceaccording to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a thumbstick user input deviceaccording to another embodiment.

FIG. 6a is a schematic diagram of a portion of a thumbstick user inputdevice including a removable thumb contact pad in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 6b is a schematic diagram of the portion of the thumbstick userinput device of FIG. 6a with the removable thumb contact pad removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Likenumbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime and multiple primenotation is used to indicate similar elements in alternativeembodiments.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an input device, illustratively in theform of a gaming controller 20, includes a controller housing 21 and adirectional keypad 22 carried by the controller housing. The directionalkeypad 22 includes discrete pushbuttons 23 a-23 d corresponding to up,down, left, and right directions. The gaming controller 20 also includespushbutton input devices 24 a-24 d carried by the controller housing 21that may have different functions associated therewith based upon a gamebeing played. The gaming controller 20 also illustratively includesfirst and second thumbstick user input devices 30 carried by thecontroller housing 21, for example, for operation by a user's left andright thumbs. Controller circuitry 25 may be carried by the controllerhousing 21 and may be coupled to the directional keypad 22, pushbuttoninput device 24 a-24 d, and thumbstick user input device 30, and mayinclude wireless communications circuitry, for example, for wirelesslycommunicating with a gaming console.

While two thumbstick user input devices 30 are illustrated, the gamingcontroller 20 may include any number of thumbstick user input devices.Similarly, there may be any number of pushbutton input devices 24 a-24 dand a directional keypad 22 may not be included. Moreover, while agaming controller 20 is described, those skilled in the art willappreciate that, as an input device, the gaming controller may be usedfor other and/or additional input functions, such as non-gamingfunctions.

Referring now additionally to FIG. 2, the thumbstick user devices 30each include a housing 31. The housing 31 may include multiple portionsor segments, for example, a cover 34 a, motor housing 34 c, and ahousing body 34 b coupled between the cover and motor housing.

A shaft 32 is carried by the housing 31. The shaft 32 has an upper end33 that extends outwardly beyond the housing 31, for example, throughthe cover 34 a, for manipulation by the user's thumb. Accordingly, thecover 34 a may include a flexible material to permit movement when theshaft 32 is manipulated by a user's thumb.

The shaft 32 has a lower end 35 that is within the housing 31. The shafthas a passageway 36 therethrough. As will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art, a thumbstick module or yoke 38 is carried by theshaft 32. The upper end 33 of the shaft 32 has a removable thumb contactpad 48.

Sensors 41 a, 41 b are carried by the housing 31 to sense movement ofthe shaft 32. The sensors 41 a, 41 b may be position sensors, forexample, to sense a position or relative motion of the shaft 32. Theremay be any number of sensors 41 a, 41 b.

The thumbstick user input device 30 includes a first contact member 51within the housing 31. More particularly, the first contact member 51,which is part of a return-to-center bias arrangement 50, may be slidablewithin shaft passageway 36. The first contact member 51 may define anactuator, for example. The first contact member 51 has a lower portion68, for example, not within the shaft passageway 36, that has agenerally flat or rectangular shape and has a slot 67 therein to engagea second contact member 61, as will be described in further detailbelow.

The thumbstick user input device 30, or more particularly, thereturn-to-center bias arrangement 50, also includes a spring 37 that iscoupled between the first contact member 51 and the shaft 32, and moreparticularly, within the shaft passageway 36 between the first contactmember and adjacent portions of the shaft. The spring 37, which isillustratively in the form of a coil spring, urges the first contactmember 51 and the shaft 32 apart. Of course, while a coil spring isdescribed, the spring 37 may be another type of spring. More than onespring may be included.

A motor 45, for example an electric motor, is carried at a bottom of thehousing 31. More particularly, the motor 45, which is part of thereturn-to-center bias arrangement 50, is carried by the motor housing 34c. The motor 45 has a rotatable output 46 extending upwardly therefrom.The rotatable output 46 is illustratively in the form of a motor shaft65 and threaded bushing 66 that engages the shaft. A biasing member inthe form of a balance spring 47 is coupled between the motor 45 andmotor housing 34 c.

The return-to-center bias arrangement 50 includes the second contactmember 61, which is coupled to the rotatable output 46. The secondcontact member 61 is in contact with the first contact member 51 and isselectively moveable in an upward or downward direction based upon motorrotation to set a compression of the spring 37 and thereby set areturn-to-center bias for the shaft 32 while the upper end 33 of theshaft is being manipulated by the user's thumb. The second contactmember 61 includes a threaded lead screw 62 and a guide member 63carried by the threaded lead screw and that engages the lower portion 68of the first contact member 51 adjacent the slot 67. Operation of themotor 45 causes the threaded shaft or rotatable output 46 of the motorto spin. The rotatable output 46, by way of the threads, engages thethreaded lead screw 62 to cause the threaded lead screw and guide member63 to move in the upward or downward direction.

More particularly, a controller 70 may be coupled to the sensors 41 a,41 b and the motor 45. The controller 70 operates the motor to set thereturn-to-center bias based upon the sensors 41 a, 41 b. For example,the sensors 41 a, 41 b may sense movements or manipulation of the upperend 33 of the shaft 32 by the user's thumb. The sensed position of theshaft off-center is provided as an input to the controller 70, which inturn selectively operates the motor 45 to set the return-to-center bias.In other words, operation of the motor 45 sets the appropriatecompression so that the shaft 32 returns to the center position.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in another embodiment, the shaft 32′ mayinclude a further shaft 42′ within the shaft passageway 36′. The firstcontact member 51′ may include a sleeve 43′ defining a contact memberpassageway 88′ that slides over the further shaft 42′. The spring 37′surrounds the further shaft 42′ and the sleeve 43′ within the shaftpassageway 36′. The first contact member 51′ has a lower portion 68′,for example, not within the shaft passageway 36′, that has a generallyflat or rectangular shape and has a slot 67′ therein to engage thesecond contact member 61′.

The second contact member 61′ is coupled to the rotatable output 46′,which is in the form of a motor shaft 65′ and threaded bushing 66′ thatengages the shaft. A cover 64′ is carried by the threaded bushing 66′over the motor shaft 65′. The second contact member 61′ is in contactwith the first contact member 51′ and is selectively moveable in anupward or downward direction based upon motor rotation to set acompression of the spring 37′ and thereby set a return-to-center biasfor the shaft 32′ while the upper end 33′ of the shaft is beingmanipulated by the user's thumb. The second contact member 61′,similarly to the embodiments described above, includes a threaded leadscrew 62′ and a guide member 63′ carried by the threaded lead screw.However, in the present embodiments, the threaded lead screw 62′ and aguide member 63′ have a diameter or are sized larger the embodimentsdescribed above. Similar to the embodiments described above, operationof the motor 45′ causes the threaded shaft or rotatable output 46′ ofthe motor to spin. The rotatable output 46′, by way of the threads,engages the threaded lead screw 62′ to cause the threaded lead screw,and thus the guide member 63′ in the upward or downward direction.Elements illustrated but not specifically described are similar to thosedescribed above.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in another embodiment, the shaft 32″ mayinclude a further shaft 42″ within the shaft passageway 36″. The firstcontact member 51″ may include a sleeve 43″ defining a contact memberpassageway 88″ that slides over the further shaft 42″. The spring 37″surrounds the further shaft 42″ and the sleeve 43″ within the shaftpassageway 36″. The first contact member 51″ has a lower portion 68″,for example, not within the shaft passageway 36′, that has a generallyinverted trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

The second contact member 61″ is coupled to the rotatable output 46″,which is in the form of a motor shaft 65″ and bushing 66″, which may bethreaded, that engages the motor shaft. A cover 64″ is carried by thebushing 66″ over the motor shaft 65″. The second contact member 61″engages the cover 64″ and has a frusto-conical shape defining a cavityto receive the lower portion 68″ of the first contact member 51″therein. The second contact member 61″ is in contact with the firstcontact member 51″, and more particularly, the lower portion 68″, and isselectively moveable in an upward or downward direction based upon motorrotation to set a compression of the spring 37″ and thereby set areturn-to-center bias for the shaft 32″ while the upper end 33″ of theshaft is being manipulated by the user's thumb. Elements illustrated butnot specifically described are similar to those described above.

Referring now to FIG. 5, in another embodiment, the first contact member51′″ has a contact member passageway 88′″, for example, defined by asleeve 43′″, similar to the embodiments described above. The spring orcoil spring 37′″ is within the contact member passageway 88′″.

The lower portion 68′″ of the first contact member 51′″ is shapedsimilarly to the first contact member described above with respect toFIG. 4. Moreover, the second contact member 61′″ is also shapedsimilarly to the second contact member 61″ described above with respectto FIG. 4. The present second contact member 61′″, however, includes aprotrusion 87′″ on a bottom side or side opposite from where it engageswith the first contact member 51′″.

Instead of a motor, the thumbstick user input device 30′″ of the presentembodiments may include a solenoid 80′″. Operation of an electromagnet81′″ causes a shaft 82′″ to extend. A bracket 83′″ is coupled betweenthe shaft 82′″ and the protrusion 87′″. The bracket 83′″ is alsohingeably coupled to the housing 31′″ and biased from the housing by wayof a bracket spring 86′″ so that operation of the solenoid 80′″ orextension of the shaft 82′″ causes compression of the bracket spring86′″ and the bracket to engage the protrusion 87′″. In other words, byway of operation of the solenoid 80′″, the first contact member 51′″ isselectively moveable in an upward or downward direction to set acompression of the spring 37′″ and thereby set a return-to-center biasfor the shaft 32′″ while the upper end 33′″ of the shaft is beingmanipulated by the user's thumb. Elements illustrated but notspecifically described are similar to those described above.

Referring now to FIGS. 6a and 6b , in another embodiment, the controller70″″ may operate the motor to set the rotatable output 46″″ to move thefirst contact member 51″″ to a release position for the removable thumbcontact pad 48″″. Operation of the motor releases detent bodies 93″″ sothat the removable thumb contact pad 48″″ is positioned to a secondaryretention. A user, for example, may then manually remove or separate theremovable thumb contact pad 48″″ from the upper end 33″″ of the shaft32″″. A cover may provide a cap to the opening where the removable thumbcontact pad 48″″ is coupled to the shaft 32″″. To replace the removablethumb contact pad 48″″, the user may press the removable thumb contactpad 48″″ into the opening to engage the detent bodies 93″″. Elementsillustrated but not specifically described are similar to thosedescribed above.

A method aspect is directed to a method of making a thumbstick userinput device 30. The method includes mounting a shaft 32 and associatedsensors 41 a, 41 b within a housing 31 so that an upper end 33 of theshaft extends outwardly beyond the housing for manipulation by a user'sthumb and a lower end 35 of the shaft is within the housing. The methodalso includes mounting a return-to-center bias arrangement 50 to theshaft 32. The return-to-center bias arrangement 50 includes a firstcontact member 51 within the housing 31, a spring 37 coupled between thefirst contact member and the shaft 32 to urge the first contact memberand the shaft apart, and a motor 45 carried at a bottom of the housingand having a rotatable output 46 extending upwardly therefrom. Thereturn-to-center bias arrangement 50 also includes a second contactmember 61 coupled to the rotatable output 46 and in contact with thefirst contact member 51 to be selectively moveable in an upward ordownward direction based upon motor rotation to set a compression of thespring 37 and thereby set a return-to-center bias for the shaft 32 whilethe upper end 33 of the shaft is being manipulated by the user's thumb.

While several embodiments have been described herein, it should beappreciated by those skilled in the art that any element or elementsfrom one or more embodiments may be used with any other element orelements from any other embodiment or embodiments. Many modificationsand other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of oneskilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it isunderstood that the invention is not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A thumbstick user input device comprising:a housing; a shaft carried by the housing and having an upper endextending outwardly beyond the housing for manipulation by a user'sthumb and a lower end within the housing; a plurality of sensors carriedby the housing to sense movement of the shaft; a first contact memberwithin the housing; a spring coupled between the first contact memberand the shaft to urge the first contact member and the shaft apart; amotor carried at a bottom of the housing and having a rotatable outputextending upwardly therefrom; and a second contact member coupled to therotatable output and in contact with the first contact member to beselectively moveable in an upward or downward direction based upon motorrotation to set a compression of the spring and thereby set areturn-to-center bias for the shaft while the upper end of the shaft isbeing manipulated by the user's thumb.
 2. The thumbstick user inputdevice according to claim 1 wherein the spring comprises a coil spring.3. The thumbstick user input device according to claim 2 wherein theshaft has a shaft passageway therethrough; and wherein the first contactmember is slidable within the shaft passageway.
 4. The thumbstick userinput device according to claim 3 wherein the coil spring is within theshaft passageway between the first contact member and adjacent portionsof the shaft.
 5. The thumbstick user input device according to claim 3wherein the first contact member has a contact member passagewaytherein; and wherein the coil spring is within the contact memberpassageway.
 6. The thumbstick user input device according to claim 1wherein the upper end of the shaft comprises a removable thumb contactpad.
 7. The thumbstick user input device according to claim 6 comprisinga controller coupled to the plurality of sensors and the motor; andwherein the controller is configured to set the rotatable output to movethe first contact member to a release position for the removable thumbcontact pad.
 8. The thumbstick user input device according to claim 1comprising a controller coupled to the plurality of sensors and themotor; and wherein the controller is configured to operate the motor toset the return-to-center bias based upon the plurality of sensors.
 9. Athumbstick user input device comprising: a housing; a shaft carried bythe housing and having an upper end extending outwardly beyond thehousing for manipulation by a user's thumb and a lower end within thehousing; a plurality of sensors carried by the housing to sense movementof the shaft; a first contact member within the housing; a coil springcoupled between the first contact member and the shaft to urge the firstcontact member and the shaft apart; a motor carried at a bottom of thehousing and having a rotatable output extending upwardly therefrom; asecond contact member coupled to the rotatable output and in contactwith the first contact member to be selectively moveable in an upward ordownward direction based upon motor rotation to set a compression of thecoil spring and thereby set a return-to-center bias for the shaft whilethe upper end of the shaft is being manipulated by the user's thumb; anda controller coupled to the plurality of sensors and the motor, andconfigured to operate the motor to set the return-to-center bias basedupon the plurality of sensors.
 10. The thumbstick user input deviceaccording to claim 9 wherein the shaft has a shaft passagewaytherethrough and wherein the first contact member is slidable within theshaft passageway.
 11. The thumbstick user input device according toclaim 10 wherein the coil spring is within the shaft passageway betweenthe first contact member and adjacent portions of the shaft.
 12. Thethumbstick user input device according to claim 10 wherein the firstcontact member has a contact member passageway therein; and wherein thecoil spring is within the contact member passageway.
 13. The thumbstickuser input device according to claim 9 wherein the upper end of theshaft comprises a removable thumb contact pad.
 14. The thumbstick userinput device according to claim 13 wherein the controller is configuredto set the rotatable output to move the first contact member to arelease position for the removable thumb contact pad.
 15. A method ofmaking a thumbstick user input device comprising: mounting a shaft andassociated sensors within a housing so that an upper end of the shaftextends outwardly beyond the housing for manipulation by a user's thumband a lower end of the shaft is within the housing; and mounting areturn-to-center bias arrangement to the shaft comprising a firstcontact member within the housing, a spring coupled between the firstcontact member and the shaft to urge the first contact member and theshaft apart, a motor carried at a bottom of the housing and having arotatable output extending upwardly therefrom, and a second contactmember coupled to the rotatable output and in contact with the firstcontact member to be selectively moveable in an upward or downwarddirection based upon motor rotation to set a compression of the springand thereby set a return-to-center bias for the shaft while the upperend of the shaft is being manipulated by the user's thumb.
 16. Themethod according to claim 15 wherein the spring comprises a coil spring.17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the shaft has a shaftpassageway therethrough; and wherein the first contact member isslidable within the shaft passageway.
 18. The method according to claim17 wherein the coil spring is within the shaft passageway between thefirst contact member and adjacent portions of the shaft.
 19. The methodaccording to claim 17 wherein the first contact member has a contactmember passageway therein; and wherein the coil spring is within thecontact member passageway.
 20. The method according to claim 15 whereinthe upper end of the shaft comprises a removable thumb contact pad; andwherein the motor is for setting the rotatable output to move the firstcontact member to a release position for the removable thumb contactpad.